Bubblegum
by JantoJones
Summary: An innocent tempts the wrath of Napoleon.


The summons to Mr Waverly's office had come as great surprise to Velma Wells. As a senior archivist, Velma spent most of her working life down in the bowels of the basement levels, happily keeping everything in order. She'd been with U.N.C.L.E. for just over 15 years, and in that time had spoken Alexander Waverly on only three occasions. She had never once been to his office.

With an unaccustomed nervousness, Velma walked up to Lisa Rogers' desk and asked her if she knew why Mr Waverly wanted to see her.

"Don't worry, Mrs Wells," Lisa told her. "I don't know the details, but I can assure you that it isn't anything to fret over. Go straight in, they're waiting for you."

Straightening her skirt, and smoothing down her blouse, Velma took a deep breath and entered the office.

As soon as the door opened, Napoleon was on his feet and pulling a chair out for her. Velma was quite shocked to find him, and his partner in the office alongside Mr Waverly. Despite Lisa's assurances, finding herself in front of the top three men of U.N.C.L.E. HQ caused Velma's heart to begin pounding. She frantically thought back over her week, trying to remember if she'd done something wrong. In a daze she sat down on the proffered seat and tried to calm her breathing.

"You seem to be a little distressed, Mrs Wells," Waverly commented. "Would you care for a cup of tea, or perhaps, coffee?"

"N. .no thank you Sir," she stammered. "I'm just a little worried about why I have been summoned up here."

"I'm sorry if I caused you any undue worry, I simply needed to request a small favour from you. Mr Kuryakin, if you would put up the slide please."

Illya dimmed the lights and brought up a picture of restaurant on the projector.

"That's Kristof's," Velma exclaimed. "That restaurant is opposite my apartment."

"Which is why we need a favour from you," Napoleon told her. "We believe that several THRUSH operatives will be holding a meeting here tomorrow evening. If you are willing, Illya and I would like to borrow your apartment for a few hours for surveillance purposes."

Velma looked from Napoleon, to Illya, then to Waverly, and back again.

"Of course, I am perfectly happy for you to use my apartment, but I'm not sure about my husband. "Eddie works hard and he looks forward to relaxing on a Friday evening."

"Would he accept dinner and a room at an upmarket hotel?" Napoleon asked her. "All expenses paid, as compensation for kicking you out of your home for a while."

"I sure he will, Mr Solo," Velma said, with a smile. "But I'm afraid there's nothing we can do about Bubblegum."

….

The following day, in the late afternoon, Napoleon and Illya let themselves into Velma's apartment. Illya was mildly surprised to see how spacious and well-furnished it was.

"What does Mr Wells do for a living?"

"He's a partner in a large insurance firm," Solo replied. "Come on, we need to get the camera up."

It didn't take long to position the equipment and Illya chose to take the first shift. The aim of the exercise was to photograph everyone who entered and exited the restaurant. Each man would take turns of an hour until morning. As Illya got himself comfortable, Napoleon began to search the room. He wanted to find Bubblegum before it got dark because they wouldn't be able to turn the lights on when it did.

"The cat will show herself when she wants," Illya mumbled as clicked the shutter on the camera. "Why don't you make yourself useful and put some coffee on.

"I just don't want it leaping on to me when I'm not expecting it."

Stepping into the kitchen, Napoleon immediately sensed he was being watched. Without moving from the door, he looked around the room and it didn't take long to find the culprit.

"You must be Bubblegum," he said softly, to the pair of eyes peering over the top of the sink. "There's no need to be frightened."

He slowly made his way over to the cat and reached over to stroke her. Without seeming to move at all, Bubblegum hissed and lashed out. Napoleon echoed the hiss, though his was from pain, before clutching his bleeding hand.

"I really don't know what my partner sees in you things," he called out to the cat, which was darting through the kitchen door.

"I found the cat," he informed Illya, as he followed the animal.

"I gathered that by the way she ran in here. What did you do to her?"

"Nothing," Solo protested. "I just tried to stroke her. She was probably just afraid because we're strangers."

His statement would have held more sway if Bubblegum wasn't curled up on Illya's lap. She was even purring. Pulling a face, Napoleon went back to the coffee.

An hour later, the two men switched positions. Solo took his jacket off and laid it over the back of the sofa before sitting in front of the window. Illya put the cat on the floor, and as she passed Napoleon, she took another swipe. Her claws caught in the fabric of his trousers, causing several of the threads to break. Kuryakin quickly picked her up again before Napoleon could grab her.

For the next hour, neither man said a word to each other. Napoleon was sulking over his damaged trousers, while Illya was engrossed in science journal he'd brought with him. Bubblegum was laid across his shoulders. Russian and feline were both quite content. Shortly before his turn came again, Illya decided to answer a call of nature, as he lifted Bubblegum from her perch, Napoleon's jacket came with her. It seemed she had spent a happy hour picking a hole into the left lapel.

"I'll be back in a minute," Illya announced.

After replacing the jacket, with the hole hidden, Illya took the cat to the Wells' bedroom. Ordinarily, he wouldn't dream of trespassing into the room, but he needed to hide the cat. Napoleon was not going to be happy when he discovered his suit had suffered more damage. With a bit of luck, he wouldn't find it until it was time to leave.

"Okay kitty," he whispered. "You have put yourself on Napoleon's hit list. If you value all nine of your lives, you'll stay in here and keep quiet."

A little later he managed to smuggle Bubblegum's litter tray and water bowl into room and for the rest of the stake-out, Illya lived in fear of Solo finding the hole. The American had repeatedly brought up the subject of the damaged trousers, and his tone didn't fill Illya with hope. When it was time to leave, Kuryakin quickly packed away the equipment while Napoleon was in the bathroom.

"I'll meet you in the car," he called out, grabbing Napoleon's jacket as he went.

"Did you take my jacket?" Solo asked when he came down and climbed into the car.

"Oh, yes," Illya confirmed, quickly getting the vehicle in motion. "I've accidently put in the trunk. You can get it out when we get to headquarters."

By which time, he thought, it would be too late for Bubblegum to feel Napoleon's ire.


End file.
